Blessed are the meek

A man claiming to have come unto Christ succinctly summarized what was required: discover what Jesus wants you to do and do that until He tells you to do something else.

What "training" enables one to develop that level of sensitivity and compliance? Being a slave? Being a prince?

Moses was both.

He who communed with God and became a great tool in His hand to lead others was described as the meekest man on earth. 

I am a father of seven. I have no aspirations to lead a multitude, but would be content to merely righteously influence my brood...and all others with whom I come in contact.

We seldom think of being meek as a quality of great leaders or great leadership. (A google search of "qualities or traits of good leadership" reveals that "being meek" seldom, if ever, makes the list!) But, unlike today, meekness was a valued trait among ancient kings. Being meek connoted having wisdom, patience and strength needed to weather adverse circumstances. In the scriptural context, those who are described as meek are recognized as being submissive to God.

6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

It wasn't Moses who argued with Aaron and Miriam about questioning Moses' actions or challenging his "authority". (As it happened, for practicing plural marriage, even marrying an Ethiopian! See Numbers 12:1-16.) Moses was meek. He was slow of speech and all the people hated him. He was not your "typical" leader.

But that's because Moses wasn't the leader. God was. Moses was simply someone God could lead.

Apparently Moses learned how to be (or was naturally) gentle, quiet, easily imposed on and submissive. Synonyms for meek include yielding, obedient, compliant, tame, biddable, tractable, acquiescent, humble, deferential, timid, unprotesting, unresisting, like a lamb to the slaughter; mild, docile, lamblike, shy, diffident, unassuming, self-effacing. (These traits are often cited as qualities of good followers, seldom good leaders.)  

One would never use such words to describe me. I am nothing like Moses. 

And that's a problem.

By contrast, most Mormon leaders I know are meek. (Even the current crop, by and large, are deferential and submissive to those in charge.) This, however, may also be a problem. In the LDS faith, following God has been supplanted by following men. (Read this short review of Passing The Heavenly Gift to see how and when that happened and what the repercussions were.) 

What the LDS Church or its members do now is largely of no consequence to me (except as it pertains to my wife and children). However, I am still obligated to come unto Christ. And being meek is surely a first step:

27 And now, my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins, and not procrastinate the day of your repentance;
28 But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;
29 Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest. (Alma 13:27-29.) 

We become meek as we eschew sin, pride, and vain ambition, using only persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness and meekness, love unfeigned, kindness, and pure knowledge, never "unrighteous dominion" or coercion to influence others. Whenever we deign to "exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness", we drive away the Spirit and experience forfeiture or cessation of priesthood. (DC 121:37-46). In short, we damn ourselves.

A man who bullies, berates or belittles others is not acting as a priest of God. Unless he is "humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering", he is not pleasing to God, but offends His Holy Spirit.

To come unto Christ, we must begin by being meek.